Belvidere's Joe Byers excels by doing little things right

Saturday

Jan 11, 2014 at 1:00 PM

By Matt TrowbridgeRockford Register Star

BELVIDERE - Joe Byers grew up in a basketball family in a football town.

His dad, Tim, played basketball for Belvidere. So did both of his dad's brothers, Chuck and Ron. His paternal grandfather, Charles Byers, played for Kirkland "back in the days when they had a jump ball after every made basket," Tim Byers said,

Yet the football pull in Belvidere is so strong that Joe's older brother, Jake, played defensive end for the Bucs, not basketball. That made Jake more like his mom's side of the family. Jerry Rowe, their maternal grandfather, played basketball for the Bucs but is known far more for football, where he is in the school's ring of honor.

But not Joe. He was always going to be about basketball, even though he was tempted to try football as a senior to play with quarterback Garrett Hyser, one of his best friends who set Belvidere's season passing record this fall.

"I thought it would be fun catching passes from him," Byers said, "but if something happened to me and I couldn't play basketball, I'd be crushed."

Byers, who had some minor knee problems in the past, kept it simple and stuck with one sport.

And that's also how he has starred at that sport and lifted Belvidere to basketball heights the Bucs had never seen before: By simply doing everything right.

"He doesn't have the flash like (Bucs guard) Maurice Jackson has, but he does the little things right," Belvidere coach Aaron Pearson said. "He doesn't have to have the ball in his hands at all times. He blends in at times. But he is one of the hardest workers and greatest kids. It's going to be a sad day when we see Joe Byers graduate."

Belvidere's 50th basketball season in the NIC-10 was its happiest. Byers led the Bucs to their first NIC-10 title last year, winning league MVP honors by averaging 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds as the Bucs went 14-2 in the league.

Byers is posting even bigger numbers this year, averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucs (10-4, 3-2).

But if you watch the Bucs play, Byers often doesn't stand out until you check the boxscore or notice why a key play went Belvidere's way.

"He's just a good, hard-nosed player; nothing flashy, but he gets the job done," Boylan coach Mike Winters said Wednesday after Byers had 17 points and nine rebounds in a 62-60 last-second loss to the Titans.

"He's just a winner," said Mike Miller, coach of NIC-10 leader Hononegah. "He's a guy that does a little bit of everything to help you win games.

"When they need a big shot, he's the one who makes it. When they need someone to get a rebound, he grabs it. When they need someone to be in a big spot defensively, he's there. He just does a lot of things right."

Tell that to his dad.

"Every time I go home, he's my other coach, critiquing me after every game," Byers said. "Sometimes I have to tell him, 'What did I do good?' But he helps a lot."

"Everybody always tells me how he's just so fundamentally sound," Tim Byers said, "but I've overlooked it because he's always been that way. He's just a natural at being in the right spots at the right time.

"I am his biggest critic, but I told him a long time ago, 'If I quit giving you advice and quit getting on you, then that means I've given up on you, son.'

"I'm never going to give up on him. And he keeps getting better every year."

It's not because he can outjump anyone. Or dominate with his size. At 6-foot-3, Byers shouldn't be big enough to thrive inside. Nor quick enough to live on the perimeter. But he uses his head to play well everywhere on the court.

"That is why Joe is so great, because he does all of the little things," Pearson said. "Every single little detail, he does. It's not the flash that makes Joe good. He's smart."

Belvidere had far more size last year, with four regulars 6-5 or taller. The Bucs may be more athletic this year, with players such as school all-time assist leader Jackson and forwards Hyser and Tyler Lass to take the scoring load off Byers, but Byers also has to play more roles than ever for Belvidere to challenge Hononegah, Boylan and Auburn for the NIC-10 title.

"Coach Pearson basically said, 'You are a 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4; just do whatever you can and do your best.' I had to work a lot on my ballhandling this summer," Byers said.

Byers said "the most fun I've ever had playing basketball" was on last year's title team.

"It puts a lot of pressure on me and my team. But we like that," he said. "We just have to start winning these bigger games.

"People here are saying Belvidere is starting to become a basketball town. It's really nice to help start that up. I hope it carries on."